Category: Stories

What We Learned In the North Woods

By Andie Roeder Moody

Note: As web content manager and writer for University Marketing and Communications, I spend the majority of my days holed away in my office on Spaulding Avenue, writing about what鈥檚 happening across campus. A few weeks ago, I had the rare privilege to join some of our students and faculty for a writing and hiking retreat. I was there to observe, write about the trip, and teach. Below is my account of the weekend.

Read the students鈥� writing from the weekend .

CHICAGO (March 29, 2016) 鈥� It鈥檚 the Friday before midterms, and we鈥檙e loading up vans in the lot behind Burgh Hall. The students are discussing all the homework they鈥檒l be trying to disremember for the next few days. They don鈥檛 get credit for attending this, and it鈥檚 not mandatory. Students of all majors are welcome, but there鈥檚 a strong showing of English and philosophy majors. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e about to take on the final push before spring break,鈥� , associate professor of philosophy, tells me. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a breaking point in the semester where most of them could really use a rest. The trip is good for that.鈥�

On the six-hour drive to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, students sing, reminisce, and discuss philosophy. A few know each other already; most of them are breaking the ice. When we arrive at Covenant Point Bible Camp, just past the Wisconsin border, it鈥檚 been snowing all evening. The grounds are coated in a thick layer of powdery snow, and our van struggles to make it up the hill to the cabins. I didn鈥檛 anticipate having no cell phone service. The faculty make no apologies for that鈥攐r for the length of the drive. Though there are closer places we could hold the retreat, Covenant Point is special to them. It鈥檚 remote and wooded; it feels connected to a tradition of nature writers, whom they harken this weekend: Thoreau, Emerson, Dillard. To get to our sessions, we walk several minutes from where we鈥檙e staying to the isolated Nature Center, which is surrounded by trails and forest. Once there, we put our chairs into a circle around the fireplace, where one devoted student builds and tends the fire all weekend. For a few days, we get a slower pace of life than Chicago鈥攐r even other camps鈥攐ffer. Before long, no one misses their cell phones much. A student tells me she鈥檚 really enjoying not knowing what her friends are up to on Facebook.

Saturday and Sunday, our full days at the camp, are structured around meals and learning sessions, with time in between to write and two readings to share your work. Professor of Philosophy opens the retreat with a lesson on tracking animals. We walk around a snowy field and follow the tracks of rabbits and deer. Greg鈥攚hom the students refer to by first name鈥攕ends them off to track animals. He asks them to come back with a story: what the narrative of the animals鈥� movements might be. One group of students tracks the path of a rabbit they imagine to be a Rambo-style secret forest police officer. Another group finds tracks so big that the only imaginable solution is a Yeti. I suggest snowshoes; they are unconvinced鈥攁nd share a poem they wrote about the Yeti.

The lessons build off each other. A quote from Greg’s tracking session becomes a writing prompt for the day: 鈥淭he tracks tell you the story of what happened.鈥� Students read us their stories about tracks of all sorts鈥攕cars, train lines, tattoos, a friend鈥檚 suicide, a carpenter father鈥檚 hands. , professor of English, leads an experiential session on walking. (Listen to the students read their responses to her prompt .) After we eat dinner together, Karl teaches on his two passions鈥攑hilosophy and photography. We close the day by having students read a piece of published writing they enjoyed. On Sunday, I lead a session about how writing has allowed me to learn to pay attention to the world around me. , professor of English, follows me that afternoon with a talk about, essentially, finitude, which she called 鈥渢he dilemma of the day.鈥� Kristy and the authors she referenced offer one answer鈥攑lay.

This was perhaps the lesson that we were all learning most acutely that weekend. Though the sessions and the writing time were powerful and thought-provoking, what felt most remarkable was the shared experience. Afternoons spent鈥攆aculty and student alike鈥攖ubing carelessly down hills and pegging each other with snowballs. An evening when we took on the 鈥減olar bear plunge,鈥� which consisted of sitting in a sauna to get warm before jumping in the frozen lake. The students, in their invincibility, were so delighted with the feeling of the plunge that they did it two or three more times each. Kristy鈥檚 seven-year-old son, Caleb, reminding us all of how the world looked from a few feet lower, chiming in with a childlike perspective during heady conversations, and keeping us laughing. On our last day, a pack of us cross-country skiing and snowshoeing across the mile-wide lake to explore its islands, where we discovered yurts and giant swings. 鈥淚 think when you play together, it鈥檚 the best way to get to know each other,鈥� Markus Tenf盲lt, a , told me. 鈥淧eople relax when they have fun鈥攊t breaks down the barriers.鈥�

Several international students were on the trip, in part to improve their English. Some were self-conscious about sharing writing in their second language, but Kristy commended their work鈥檚 clarity, beauty, and strength. I agreed. 鈥淚nternational students don鈥檛 have a home to go home to during the breaks, like the Americans have,鈥� Axel Rejler, a Swedish exchange student, told me. 鈥淪o this is our chance to get off campus, calm down, and think.鈥� Looking around the snowy terrain, he said, 鈥淩eally, it looks like home. This could be Sweden.鈥�

But the weekend was more than recreation. There were chunks of time devoted to writing on your own, and the students took it seriously, preparing earnestly to share new pieces of writing on Sunday night. What they exhibited throughout the weekend in playfulness, they matched with vulnerability. One shared a poem about the shame he once harbored over his mother鈥檚 vocation as a home cleaner. Another, a ballad about surviving depression. Another, Bob Dylan-inspired lyrics about Swedish politics. The prompts given in all of our lessons were represented鈥攑oetry from a creative writing assignment Kristy gave, essays about walking. I cried as a student read her reflections about the power of paying attention. I鈥檓 not sure what I was expecting from the students鈥� writing, but what they shared throughout the weekend far exceeded it. I鈥檝e collected some of it , because I think what they wrote is beautiful and worth reading.

Students protested as we packed up our vans to head back to Chicago Monday morning. I wanted to protest too. Kristy calls this trip a 鈥渉igh-impact learning experience.鈥� Classroom time, writing, and exams are present at all universities, but this is the kind of thing that sets North Park apart. In exit interviews with seniors, she often hears the writing retreat brought up as a highlight and formative experience.

At the outset of the trip, a student told me he was thinking about transferring; he hasn鈥檛 been able to make good friends in his first year at North Park. Over the next four days, I see a change in him as he learns and writes with his peers鈥攈e鈥檚 more open, happy, understood. I don鈥檛 know where he is in his decision now, but he did tell me the retreat was the most meaningful experience he鈥檚 had at North Park so far.

When asked to describe the weekend in one word, students said 鈥渞estful,鈥� 鈥減eace,鈥� 鈥渆motional,鈥� and 鈥渞ejuvenate.鈥� My word would be 鈥渃onnected.鈥� This, to me, is the heart of the weekend: connection. A college education is more than the sum of one鈥檚 syllabi or credit hours. It鈥檚 the connections of those things with other, memorable, cherished components鈥攃onversations, experiences, relationships, intellectual revelations. It鈥檚 the connections between disciplines: What does it look like to be a writer when you鈥檙e majoring in government? What does an adult life of balance and connection look like? What we began on the retreat with the students is a start towards what we hope they鈥檒l do throughout their time at North Park and beyond: live connected, think deeply, play, pay attention.

Author tomgabrysiak

MAP in the Middle: The Illinois Budget Impasse and its Impact on Higher Education

The current issue of the Spectrum, North Park’s student magazine, addresses this issue in a , director of financial aid.

By Dr. Jon Peterson, assistant professor of politics and government

We currently have no MAP grant funds because Governor Bruce Rauner and the Illinois General Assembly (that is, the state house and the state senate) have failed to pass a state budget. We do not have a state budget because our Republican governor and our Democratic legislative majorities have very different opinions about how to fix the serious problems in our state鈥檚 finances.

Last spring when and Democratic legislative leaders (like House Speaker and Senate President ) began negotiating the budget, the state estimated it would collect about $32 billion in taxes in 2016. The problem is, just to keep state services at last year鈥檚 levels, the state needed $38 billion. So, to fix a $6 billion gap in state finances, our state leaders had three choices: 1. cut services by reducing spending; 2. collect more money by raising taxes; or 3. some combination of both.

Governor Rauner chose the first option. He proposed a budget with no tax increases and steep spending cuts. Democrats in the General Assembly rejected the governor鈥檚 proposal and chose the third option. They passed a series of budget bills that increased taxes and cut spending. But according to the governor, those bills did not cut spending enough, since they would have spent $4 billion more than the state would have collected in taxes. As a result, Rauner vetoed every budget bill except the one that paid for public elementary and secondary schools.

Since the governor and state legislators failed to pass a budget, every state agency and program (other than public schools) technically ran out of money on July 1, 2015. But a series of court orders has forced the state to continue paying state workers and funding state programs at about 90 percent of their 2015 levels. The budget gap remains, however, and Illinois is now spending money faster than it is collecting it. By the end of June, we will overspend by more than $4 billion.

This budget standoff forms the backdrop of the debate. The bill funding MAP grants was one of the budget bills that Governor Rauner vetoed last spring, so the program is currently unfunded. At the end of January, the General Assembly approved , which included full funding ($373 million) for MAP grants. Governor Rauner on February 19, arguing that the state does not have the money to pay for the program. He also wants the General Assembly to give him new authority to make spending cuts during financial crises. Republicans in the legislature have introduced a bill that would give the governor this authority and fully fund MAP grants. But they do not have enough votes to pass the bill, and Democratic legislators are unwilling to give up budget power to the governor.

The Illinois Constitution gives the General Assembly the ability to override a governor鈥檚 veto, but they need 3/5 of their members to agree to do it. As long as Republican legislators side with the governor, the Democrats did not have enough votes to override the governor鈥檚 veto. On March 1, a motion to override the governor’s veto was filed in the Senate, and it arrived to the House on March 2. However, the 3/5 majority vote to override was not successful, and the veto of SB2043 stands.

Looking forward, any successful MAP grant bill is going to need the support of both a majority in the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Rauner. And until that happens, 130,000 college students across Illinois will be left without their much-needed MAP grants.

is assistant professor of politics and government at 国产精品视频. His expertise is in the areas of American government and politics, public opinion and voting behavior, and religion and politics.

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国产精品视频 Choir and Chamber Singers to Visit Pacific Northwest

North Park’s University Choir and Chamber Singers perform throughout the year under the direction of Dr. Julia Davids.

CHICAGO (March 4, 2016) 鈥� Today, 国产精品视频 students, faculty, and staff are putting the final touches on months of choral preparation. Next weekend, they鈥檒l be in the Pacific Northwest, nearly 2000 miles away from campus, on a five-city tour over the course of four days.

North Park’s and Chamber Singers will tour the Pacific Northwest over spring break, March 12颅鈥�15. Forty-one students, from聽 and music programs, in addition to several non-music majors or minors, will make stops at six Evangelical Covenant Church congregations and a Covenant retirement community in Portland, Ore.; Mercer Island, Wash.; Seattle, Wash.; Mount Vernon, Wash.; and Bellevue, Wash.

The tour, titled will feature a diverse array of both classical and contemporary sacred and secular works from composers including Ivo Antognini, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ren茅 Clausen, Keith Hampton, Don Macdonald, Edwin Fissinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, James MacMillan, Anders Edenroth, Frank Ticheli, and Larry L. Fleming.

鈥淚 purposely selected varied works that creatively explore the concept of light鈥攖hrough the music and lyrics and overall affect,鈥� explained Dr. Julia Davids, 国产精品视频’s聽.

鈥淭he Chamber Singers will perform a ‘Real Group’ arrangement of Swedish and Finnish folk songs聽that nod to our school鈥檚 unique heritage,鈥� Davids added.

In the spirit of North Park鈥檚 vision to be a “campus without borders,” the tour complements student musicians鈥� formal training with experiential learning and real-world performances.

鈥淚 get to experience what it means to be a committed choral member and musician,” says senior major Emily Swearer. “Choir tours mean singing under pressure, when you may not be feeling your best, when you have a million other things you need to do, and singing beautifully and intentionally anyway. It means being in close quarters with the same people for several days and choosing to work together, despite frustrations or fatigue, to make beautiful music.”

The tour also provides an opportunity to see the world beyond Chicago and build relationships with choirmates and faculty. Students room with local families during the tour and enjoy bonding during the bus rides between destinations.

鈥淲ith my family and church family so far away, they never get to see me perform with the North Park choirs鈥擨 can’t wait to look out into the crowd and see their faces,鈥� Swearer says. 鈥淭his is my last year at North Park, and it’s also possibly my last choir tour ever. To have the end of such an influential chapter of my life close at home, is like coming full circle. I’m thankful.”

School of Music touring ensembles regularly visit parts of the country where there are concentrations of University alumni and ECC congregations.

鈥淚 always enjoy seeing students grow and meet the challenges we鈥檝e given them,鈥� said Davids. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a pleasure to serve as an ambassador for the University.鈥�

All performances are free and open to the public:

• Saturday, March 12, 6:30 pm, at Evergreen Covenant Church, Mercer Island, Wash.
• Sunday, March 13, 11:00 am, at First Covenant Church, Seattle, Wash.
• Sunday, March 13, 7:00 pm, at Bethany Covenant Church, Mount Vernon, Wash.
• Monday, March 14, 7:00 pm, at Milwaukie Covenant Church, Portland, Ore.
• Tuesday, March 15, 7:00 pm, at Highland Covenant Church, Bellevue, Wash.

Additional details are聽.

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国产精品视频 Named Among Top Fulbright Student Producing Institutions

CHICAGO (March 2, 2016) 鈥� 国产精品视频 has once again been named a top-producer of students winning Fulbright awards, keeping company with schools that include the University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Villanova, and more. The Chronicle of Higher Education in conjunction with a February 22 article exploring Fulbrights鈥� efforts to diversify the students and scholars who participate in this international exchange program.

This honor as a top-producer is based on the 2014鈥�2015 academic year, when seven North Park students applied for the program, and four were granted awards: , , , and . Since 2008, graduating North Park students have taking them around the globe, including to Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Andorra, Poland, Romania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Malaysia, Ecuador, Turkey, and Colombia.

, professor of Spanish, spearheads North Park’s efforts around Fulbright awards, serving as mentor and encourager to student applicants. She has been a Fulbright Scholar and twice a Fulbright Senior Specialist, and readily admits to having 鈥淔ulbrightis.鈥� Good candidates, Parkyn says, have stellar grades, a keen interest in some other part of the world, involvement with immigrants and/or refugees at home, and knowledge of another language. 鈥淔ulbright is a prestigious award,” says Parkyn. “But to have this experience early in your life, to give back your first year out of college and become an American ambassador sharing language and culture, it will affect your career choices for the rest of your life鈥攁nd affect change for good in our world!鈥�

Parkyn has been working this academic year with student applicants, but official decisions on who will win student awards will be revealed by the Fulbright Program later this spring. “I can’t give anything away about our student applicants, but we do anticipate more North Parkers to travel the world with Fulbright this year,” she said. “We have three Fulbright semi-finalists for the 2015鈥�2016 year.”

The February list of top-producing institutions is categorized by institution type, and North Park falls into the 鈥渕aster鈥檚 institution鈥� category, a reflection of standard Carnegie Classifications for higher education institutions. This is the second time North Park has earned this distinction.

, the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 300,000 participants鈥攃hosen for their academic merit and leadership potential鈥攚ith the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

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国产精品视频 to Host Kallistos Ware for Orthodox Theology Conference

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware’s lecture, “The Unchanging Gospel in an Ever-Changing World,” will offer practical wisdom and suggestions for congregations in the task of keeping the Gospel clear and central to faith for all generations.

CHICAGO (February 23, 2016) 鈥� Metropolitan Kallistos Ware will present the inaugural lecture at 国产精品视频鈥檚 , a free, single-day conference, Saturday, March 5, 2016, from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm. The author, professor, and bishop, perhaps best known for his book The Orthodox Church, will present a two-part lecture, followed by responses from other theologians.

According to , professor of biblical and theological studies at North Park and organizer of the Speakers鈥� Series, 鈥淥rthodoxy is on the cusp of a major theological renaissance in the 21^st century. This annual event will help establish Orthodox theology as a vital religious force in American life and thought. Kallistos Ware is the right person for that. Coming from Oxford University, he is one of those rare individuals who come along every hundred years in the history of Christianity who is both brilliant and humble. He is a person of the academy, but also of the church. He鈥檚 a living legend in our time.鈥�

Orthodoxy on an Evangelical Campus

As host of this event focused on Orthodox faith traditions, 国产精品视频 is highlighting the unifying elements of world Christianity. Nassif, a pioneer in North American ecumenical dialogue, has devoted much of his career to bridge-building between Orthodoxy and evangelicalism, building on both traditions鈥� roots in historic Christian theology and confession. Though Eastern Orthodoxy in the United States is a minority religion, it is one of the oldest faith traditions in Christianity, growing out of 鈥渢he cradle of Christianity鈥� in the Middle East, according to Nassif.

鈥淚鈥檝e worked to bring these two traditions together because I believe in both of them,鈥� he said. Nassif teaches courses in Eastern Orthodoxy as well as others that explore faith connections across traditions. Bringing Kallistos Ware to campus is one way to introduce students from all faith traditions to the Orthodox vision of life.

Centered in the Gospel

Nassif organized the Speakers鈥� Series, with funding from the John C. Kulis Foundation, in the hope of providing practical resources for congregations and ministers across Christianity in the work of spreading the gospel. 鈥淲e鈥檙e addressing a topic of central importance to Christian identity,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat is the gospel, and what difference does it make in the life of the church?鈥�

Ware鈥檚 lecture, 鈥淭he Unchanging Gospel in an Ever-Changing Culture,鈥� will reach to the heart of the question for our cultural atmosphere. 鈥淲e鈥檙e living in a time when Christianity is constantly being redefined in order to fit the agenda of contemporary culture rather than the gospel of Jesus Christ,鈥� Nassif said. 鈥淢y greatest hope is that Bishop Kallistos will help people understand that the solution to the world鈥檚 problems is found most comprehensively in the witness of historic Christian faith. As a result, I hope pastors and people alike will learn how to keep the gospel clear and central for each generation鈥攖he very thing that is most urgently needed in Christianity today.鈥�

The event has received an official endorsement by Demetrios, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America. 鈥淣orth Park’s efforts combined with the generosity of the Kulis Foundation will provide a new forum for engagement with the essential role and power of the Gospel in our Orthodox faith,鈥� Demetrios said.

Respondents to Ware鈥檚 lecture include Father John Behr, dean at St. Vladimir鈥檚 Orthodox Seminary; , teaching fellow in church history at North Park Theological Seminary; and Dr. Marcus Plested, associate professor of theology at Marquette University.

For more information and to register, visit . For those unable to attend in person, Ware鈥檚 lectures will be available online through live-stream video at .

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